Why I Love My Coupon Binder

I love my coupon binder.

I take it into every store I go into and use it about 99% of the time. This evening my hubby and I ran to Target so that we could browse--but I also knew I needed to stock up on a few things.

While I was shopping with my coupon binder, I ran into a friend. We started talking and as we were talking I peered into the cart and saw items she was buying that I had coupons for. You have to understand, I have 100's of coupons in my binder. Put any stocked cart in front of me and I bet you I can find coupons in my binder on most of those items within seconds--thats how organized it is!

The items I saw in her cart were: Cottonelle Toilet Paper, two Trop50 Orange Juice Cartons, and two boxes of Eggo Waffles. I gave her a $1.00 off coupon towards the Cottonelle Toilet Paper, a $1.00 off coupon for two boxes of Eggo Waffles, and a $1.00 off coupon for two Trop50 Orange Juice Cartons= $3.00 in savings for my friend, right there, within seconds, all because I had my binder with me! (friend--if you are reading this, I hope you enjoyed your awesome savings!)

I was able to take a little over $13.00 off from my purchases with the coupons I used on my own items.

My best deal?

Clean & Clear Face Wash was on the clearance rack from $6.49 to $3.24. I had a $2.00 off coupon for it, so I got it for $1.24! Savings= $5.25
*Shop the clearance racks and find coupons to match! A few weeks ago I found a Gillette Fusion Razor on Clearance from $7.00 to $3.50. I had a $4.00 off coupon for it, so I got it for free!

Want to create your own binder?

Go here to see how I created mine. Don't leave home without it!

Need some coupons to go in it to get you started? 

Print Coupons:
Save on Groceries at Coupons.com! Click Here
Red Plum - Free printable grocery coupons. Click Here

Frugal Friends:

Feel free to repost this link onto your frugal blogs! If you do, please leave a link back to your blog so I can visit your blog!

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Granola Bar Samples

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2 Kotex Ultra Thin Pads with Wings and 2 Kotex Fresh & Dry Long Liners! Go here.

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The Best Months to Shop For Deals

I came across this GREAT article from AllYou.com! This month by month list will let you know when you can find the best deals around! Did you know that the best time to buy furniture and gym memberships are in July?  Computer shopping??? Wait until next month, and be sure to stock up on school supplies in August, too. Plan your purchases accordingly!

Don't forget to enter into my July Giveaway for a yearly subscription to the All You magazine sponsored by mazagines.com. Click here for the giveaway details.

Frugal Free Gal Friday Blog Hop!

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Welcome to the very first Frugal Free Gal Friday Blog Hop! I hope you are having a fun Friday! Thanks for "hopping" by!

1. Please leave your blog link below.
2. Follow "The Frugal Free Gal" and then follow at least two other blogs.
3. Grab my button and repost this on your blog!
4. Most importantly, have fun hopping! Hop on by next Friday for another blog hop!

Free Sample of Dove Hair Care

Go here to get your free sample of Dove Hair Care!

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Get BabyCenter's free email newsletters that allow you to track your baby's development week by week and includes articles on important health and safety topics handpicked for your particular stage of pregnancy. You'll also receive valuable coupons, sale notices, and free offers from BabyCenter and our partners. Click Here

Save 80% at Restaurant.com

Frugal Free Gal Friday Blog Hop

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Welcome to the very first Frugal Free Gal Friday Blog Hop! I hope you are having a fun Friday! Thanks for "hopping" by!

1. Please leave your blog link below.
2. Follow "The Frugal Free Gal" and then follow at least two other blogs.
3. Grab my button and repost this on your blog!
4. Most importantly, have fun hopping! Hop on by next Friday for another blog hop!

Today is Mega Swagbucks Day! Sign Up Now! It's Free!

Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day!

If you’re new to Swagbucks, it’s a free rewards program that lets you can earn "digital dollars" for doing web searches, online shopping, taking polls and more. Just a few searches a day can help you earn Swagbucks quickly. After earning a certain number of Swagbucks, you can trade them in for prizes like Amazon gift cards, DVDs, video games and more. On Mega Swagbucks Day you can earn Swagbucks in increments of 50, 100, 200 or even 1000 just by doing routine web searches. Once you see that "cute little Swagbucks digital dollar" pop up on searches, you will be hooked and want to search more!

My Swagbucks Earnings

as of May 9, 2010:

(13) $5.00 Amazon Gift Cards! (and very close to my 14th!)

= $65.00!

My gift cards have already been transferred to my Amazon account and I plan to spend them on Christmas presents this year! At least 2-3 Christmas presents have been paid for, thanks to Swagbucks!

How to sign up:

Signing up is FREE! You’ll earn 30 Swagbucks just for signing up. Several of my friends have signed up and they are already earning prizes!  Click the Swagbucks box at the top or bottom of this post to sign up, or go here. If at anytime you have questions about using the program, please email me at thefrugalfreegal@yahoo.com.

Then, go here to read my tips on how I use Swagbucks to maximize my earning potential.

***If you are already earning Swagbucks, please let us know what you have earned by leaving a comment below. Let us know your favorite ways to earn! It's a lot of fun, isn't it?!***

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Have a young toddler or child? Let them be a star in this free video "The Mischievous Monkey!" They will LOVE seeing the video and probably give you a few giggles!

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Look What I Just Earned from Stonyfield Rewards!

Congratulations on earning One YoBaby or YoToddler Multipack and a FREE one-year subscription to KIWI Magazine (6 issues) and thanks for participating in the MyStonyfield Rewards Program! You are on your way to getting a great Reward! You should receive your reward in 8-10 weeks.

Yay!

Did you know that there are codes on these yogurts that you can enter in at Stonyfield's Homepage? I didn't know that until about a month ago and I just received enough points (20) to get this free multipack of organic yogurt along with a magazine subscription! My daughter (and me too!) love the YoBaby Yogurt!

Save at CoolSavings with grocery coupons, free stuff offers, discount codes, tips and more! Click Here

I Lost Weight!

I am so happy that I have "lost weight!" Clutter, that is.

A few times a year I take my unwanted/unused items to a consignment store here in town. They price it, they sell it, I get 40% of what it sells for. The consignment store is very generous with their pricing and I usually end up making more on my items than I would if I were to hold a garage sale. All I do is call ahead for an appointment, box up my items, and take it to them and they do the work for me! I even receive a very detailed list of the description of the item and how much they are trying to sell it for. Once I sell $100.00 worth, they send me a nice little check!

I have been consigning items for about two years now. I recommend consigning your new to gently used items that you have around your house that are taking up valuable space. Call around and see what each consignment store will accept and what their policy is (how much they will make and how much you will make).

Want to know another money maker? I bought two toys several months ago for $1.00 each. My daughter got tired of playing with them so I decided to make a run to Once Upon a Child to see if they would sell there. I received a $6.80 credit for the two toys! I made $4.80 off of the two toys! I really didn't think I was going to get that much for them, but I wasn't going to complain. Now I can use the credit to buy her something she will need in the future! One persons junk is another persons treasure!

Do you consign items? How often do you "declutter?" How does your clutter earn you extra cash?

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Free Fitness Kit from Subway

Are you a teacher or do you home school? Go here to sign up for a free fitness kit from Subway. This kit includes engaging classroom activities and tools to promote a healthier lifestyle.

Limit one kit per teacher. While supplies last. Kit should arrive around the start of the school year.

What Are Your Plans Today?

Today is shopping day for me!

I usually start out at a thrift store and see what I can find there first. I often find several pieces of clothing for my daughter for $1.19 (mostly new and gently used name brand items.) I also find a lot of "like new" pairs of kids shoes and lots of books and toys for her as well. Occasionally I find something for myself, but I know I go in there specifically looking for kids items.

Then I am off to the grocery store. Take a look at my list:

milk
bread
cheese
lunch meat
chicken breast
chicken nuggets
apples
bananas
grapes
mac & cheese

That is my list! That's it! Isn't that awesome? Where are the diapers, wipes, toilet paper, toothpaste, peanut butter, cereal, pancake mix, etc.? They are already in my pantry/shelves--thanks to my lovely stockpile method (buying several items when they are on sale and when I have coupons to match-instead of going week by week to pick up the items). I LOVE my stockpile. Shopping is a breeze now. I still have my coupon binder ready to go and I will probably find some good deals on items that I may continue to stock up on. I also made sure to plan around the circular and find what is on sale! Read more about my stockpile method here.

I also have my consignment store appointment today. I love my consignment store here. They take just about everything, from magazines and books, to clothes. I have a few things to shed from my life so they are in boxes and ready to go. Making consignment appointments throughout the year really helps to keep my house decluttered and also puts a lot of extra cash in the wallet! Call and make an appointment with a consignment store in your area and ask what their policy is (what they take, how much you will get).

If you have lots planned to day or very little, just remember to HAVE A GREAT DAY and enjoy every minute of it, for this is a day that has not been promised!

Be sure to check coupons.com and Redplum for new coupons! Read my coupon tips here.

Save on Groceries at Coupons.com! Click Here

Red Plum - Free printable grocery coupons. Click Here

100 Followers and 3500+ Visitors

Sending a big thank you "in writing" to everyone who comes by to visit "The Frugal Free Gal" daily. You are the reason I continue to blog and post good deals and free samples. I always enjoy reading your comments, also.

To continue receiving updates to "The Frugal Free Gal" and to keep motivating me to post, you can:

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6. Grab my button and post to your blog.

Thanks again and see you soon!

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*I did not have to enter the promo code to get this sample!

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What Is Groupon?

I have seen so many advertisements for "Groupon" but I never knew exactly what it was until I decided to do some research on my own. I thought "Groupon" sounded pretty catchy, since it rhymed with "Coupon" and thought it was something worth looking into. Here is what I learned about Groupon.

What is Groupon?

Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in cities (mostly the large cities).

Cities currently participating in Groupon:

Albuquerque, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Tampa, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, San Diego, Virginia Beach, Austin, Cleveland, Fresno, Los Angeles, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Washington DC, Baltimore, Columbus, Houston, Louisville, New York, Portland, San Jose, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, Seattle, Charlotte, Denver, Jacksonville, Miami, Omaha, Sacramento, St. Louis

How Groupon Works:

Every day, there is a new deal listed. You can check in and sign up for daily alerts to have the deals emailed to you each morning or visit the site each day. The deals first have to meet a certain quota, meaning the deal is not good until a certain number of people sign up for it and buy it. If that number is not reached, you are not charged. If it is met, then the deal will activate and anyone can buy.

Sounds pretty neat, huh? If you live near a big city or know you will be planning a vacation soon to one of these cities, it is worth signing up for. If you live near a small area and are not planning any vacations soon, this may not be for you, but it is worth sharing with family and friends!

Click the box above to find today's great deals or click the link below.

Restaurants, Salons and Events up to 90% off! Find deals in your city. Click Here

Here is a video you can watch on "Groupon."


Learn How Groupon Works! from The Point on Vimeo.